First-time claims for unemployment insurance in Louisiana for the week ending Jan. 2 increased from the previous week's total.

The state labor department figures released Monday show the initial claims increased to 2,459 from the previous week's total of 2,398. For the comparable week a year earlier, there were 1,814.

The four-week moving average, which is a less volatile measure of claims, increased to 2,494 from the previous week's total of 2,483.

Continued unemployment claims claimed for the week ending Jan. 2 increased to 24,659 compared to 22,682 the previous week.

The four-week moving average for such claims increased to 22,665 from the previous week's average of 221,876.

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